A Jagged Contention: The Head of the Home

“So, who is the head of your house? Some might say the man is the head. Others might say it is the woman or the wife in the home. And still others would, as I have mentioned, insist that there is no head, that life in the home is a “headless” team effort. In my research on fatherhood, one thing has become increasingly clear to me. When we as a society lose the idea of the man as the head of the house, we also lose the idea of what it means to be a good husband and father. Why is this the case? Because once a man’s freedom and authority in his own home is taken away, his desire to serve that home in love departs at the same time. It is the freedom provided in the home that allows men to serve longing as provider, protector, sustainer, lover, friend, and forgiver. Once his “headship” is removed, by either usurpation or dispersal, his lack of freedom will inevitably lead to a lack of desire.”

– Scott Keith, Being Dad: A Father as a Picture of God’s Grace. Pgs. 74-75

Question:

What do you think of Dr. Keith’s assessment? How can we as men strongly and lovingly push against the culture’s resistance to the idea of the “father as head?” Discuss what blessings arise when the father is faithful in carrying out his role as the head of the home.